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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25229203">I'm Sober</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphireth/pseuds/HoldingHands'>HoldingHands (Sapphireth)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cara takes care, Drinking, F/M, Pre-Relationship, Sharing a Bed, drunk!mando, sad!mando</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:35:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,653</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25229203</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphireth/pseuds/HoldingHands</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm sober, and I still want to kiss you."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cara Dune/The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>114</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I'm Sober</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24703498">Skin Deep</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Name1/pseuds/Name1">Name1</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi, this fic was heavily inspired by Name1's Skin Deep, a wonderful work that you should go read right now if you haven't already.</p>
<p>I had intended for it to be a short thing of maybe 1500 words. But then these two started chatting and didn't want to stop, so yeah, expect a lot of dialog.</p>
<p>I had a lot of fun researching and using swearing words that are actually canon. Kriff, farkled, shab and varp can be found in different Star Wars works. I'm sure you will get the meaning of each one. I especially like that shab is a mandalorian word, and varp was used by Alderaanians.</p>
<p>Hope you enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Din hesitates outside her door. Why? Damn if he knows. It's perfectly normal to come and visit a friend who's invited you. But what if she didn't mean her house, maybe she meant that he come back to the cantina with the child so she could see him, it's been weeks since they've had any contact. So why has he spent all afternoon in the Crest pondering whether he should come or not? He's not at his best right now, maybe that's why. But since he's come this far, he better be a man and face whatever must happen.</p>
<p>Cara has just finished washing up when someone knocks on her door. She instantly goes alert and her hand touches the knife on her leg while her eyes look for the blaster on the table of her small dining-room. Who could it be at this hour? Greef never visits so late in the evening and there's no one else who would actually come for her to her apartment. If they need something, everybody in Nevarro knows they can find her in the cantina. For a moment, one person crosses her mind and her heart gives a little jump at the thought of him.</p>
<p>She knows he's in town, she had seen him that morning and had invited him to her house if he felt like talking with a friend. Things aren't going well in his quest to find the Child's people and he had looked a bit off. She had hoped to try and cheer him up when she finished her shift in the cantina that afternoon, but eventually he hadn't come.</p>
<p>"Cara, are you there?" It's his voice. "C'mon, I can see the light, can you hear me?" Again, he knocks.</p>
<p>What in stars is he doing here so late? She was going to go to bed soon, she's tired. If he was going to come he should have come earlier. She walks to the door.</p>
<p>"Mando? Is that you?"</p>
<p>"Yes. At least I think I'm me. Last time I checked I was."</p>
<p>He's not making any sense, she opens the door.</p>
<p>"But with this thing you never know." He finishes, tapping at his helmet. "Hi."</p>
<p>He's leaning on her door, one hand on the frame, the other carrying a bottle. Sunfruit liquor, she registers, strong stuff. The kid is by his side, she presumes, in his old pram because the new one got destroyed in their confrontation with Moff Gideon a couple months ago. It is closed.</p>
<p>"Hey, I wasn't expecting you."</p>
<p>"Oh, sorry. Maybe I should go back and… I shouldn't have come." He mumbles and motions to get back from the door.</p>
<p>"No, stop. I didn't mean that. Come in." She grabs his arm and leads him inside to the open area that serves as dining-room, living-room and kitchen. "Is that a present?" she says with a nod towards the bottle.</p>
<p>He eyes it as if he had forgotten about it. "More like a token of peace."</p>
<p>She gives him a cautious look that says "I'm listening".</p>
<p>"I know I've been a bit of a jerk lately. I'm sorry for not returning your calls. And fro-fr-for not giving you notice in advance if I was coming to visit today or not."</p>
<p>He walks to the table but trips on his own foot and almost crushes the bottle on the floor. "<em>Kriff</em>." he swears.</p>
<p>"Are you alright?" Cara is there by his side in an instant, taking the bottle from his hand and trying to stabilize him. It's then when she's a bit closer that she smells it.</p>
<p>"Din, have you been drinking?"</p>
<p>He tries to compose himself. Hells, she noticed. "A bit."</p>
<p>"What have you been drinking?"</p>
<p>"This stuff, it's good. Not from this bottle," he clarifies "another one."</p>
<p>She puts both her hands on her hips. "How much did you drink from that bottle?"</p>
<p>"A bit, I told you." he answers in an obviously defensive way, he's so lying. "I'm fine, ok?"</p>
<p>She's not convinced but she chooses to let it go. He's a grown man, he can drink into a stupor if he wants. As long as it doesn't put the kid in danger.</p>
<p>"Alright. How's the kid?"</p>
<p>"Sleeping." He pushes a button on his vambrace and the pram opens. There he is the little green fellow. She wants to stroke his ear but doesn't want to wake him, so she just stares at him with an affectionate smile on her lips. Din watches her. Who would have thought that the tough ex-soldier Cara Dune does have a soft spot for babies, at least for this particular baby?</p>
<p>She's wearing a light coloured t-shirt and her usual comfortable pants that fit so well on her hips and her rear when she bends over like she's doing right now. It is the more endearing because she's not aware of it.</p>
<p>"So, things not going quite well?" she points, returning to their conversation of this morning.</p>
<p>"Things are more and more <em>farkled</em>." he says as he follows her to the kitchen.</p>
<p>She takes two glasses from a cupboard and places them on a countertop while she speaks. Din leans on the counter by her side with his arms crossed and looks at the glasses. She didn't realize he can't drink in front of her. Or can he?</p>
<p>"Yeah, you look like it. Haven't found any clue?" she says. He really is pissed off, she doesn't remember hearing him swear.</p>
<p>"Every hint I think I found leads to nothing. It's really frustrating."</p>
<p>"The galaxy is big, there are so many planets. Maybe this is not a mission that can be accomplished in a couple of months. It could take years, you know that."</p>
<p>Of course he knows. He lowers his head and Cara feels sorry for him. She's never seen him so down. She can't see his face but his body language speaks volumes. His shoulders hang and his movements are slow.</p>
<p>She's halfway filling his glass and then hers when she realizes her mistake.</p>
<p>"Oh <em>varp</em>, I'm sorry, I-" she stands in front of him with two glasses of liquor in her hands, not knowing what to do with them. "I guess I'll have to drink both." she adds with a sly smile.</p>
<p>"Or," he takes one of the glasses in his gloved hand "you could share."</p>
<p>"Are you sure? Don't you think it will be odd drinking and trying to communicate from different rooms? Doesn't sound like much fun."</p>
<p>"Come." He says and goes to stand in the middle of the open space, between the table and something that could pass for a couch. "I've rarely tried this, I don't use to drink, but it works."</p>
<p>"Ok, also I don't know if I should let you drink anymore, but now I'm curious, so…"</p>
<p>He manages to sit on the floor without tipping sideways, his back to her. "Sit down with your back against mine."</p>
<p>She does as he instructs and a chill goes down her spine when her body makes contact with his. He is warm in the parts where he's not covered in beskar.</p>
<p>"Oh, wait, could you turn off the lights?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, sure."</p>
<p>She gets up and, as she switches off the lamp hanging over their heads, he asks: "Also, bring the bottle."</p>
<p>"I don't know. Really, are you sure you didn't drink enough already?"</p>
<p>He sighs as he shakes his head. "No, I'm fine. Just bring the bottle."</p>
<p>She sits again and is surprised as she feels the same shiver as before. She wonders if it's going to always be like this with him, if she's going to turn into a puddle everytime they are this close?</p>
<p>"Is this ok?" she asks, "am I doing it right?"</p>
<p>"You're perfect- I mean, you're doing perfect."</p>
<p>She smiles at the slip of his tongue.</p>
<p>"I know I can trust you but I have to ask, promise that you won't peek?"</p>
<p>She feels a tiny, minimal pang of sadness at the fact that he has to be reassured that she will respect his privacy. She's not really offended, but for a nanosecond she can't help it.</p>
<p>"Mando, of course I won't."</p>
<p>"I know, it's just…"</p>
<p>"It's alright." She inhales deeply and raises her glass to one side so that he can see it. "To mysterious babies and their mysterious species."</p>
<p>From his side he huffs but he too raises his glass to clank it with hers.</p>
<p>"Isn't it a bit strange to make a toast to babies, with alcohol?"</p>
<p>"He's asleep. He doesn't even know that we're going to get plastered, to his health. Well, you already are."</p>
<p>"I'm not." he replays more mechanically now. Then he brings his hands to the sides of his head and carefully takes his helmet off. When he huffs this time, it sounds different, and she discovers that she's thrilled with anticipation to hear his real voice.</p>
<p>"Tell me, is this the way Mandos drink together?"</p>
<p>"Yep."</p>
<p>"It reminds me of how we used to rest on the battlefield. Back to back, you can close your eyes for a bit but only with one half open."</p>
<p>"In our case, it's with an eye closed, or both if possible."</p>
<p>She lets escape a soft laugh and he feels it in his bones.</p>
<p>"But what if you are in complete darkness, would it be allowed to sit side by side?"</p>
<p>He thinks about it for a second. "Yes, I guess so."</p>
<p>"This is the Way." she says.</p>
<p>"This is the Way." he repeats, and both take a sip from their glasses.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, am I allowed to say that? Since I'm not a Mandalorian."</p>
<p>"As long as you don't mock it, you can say it. Don't worry, I know you'd never say it in a disrespectful way. You are the person that's more careful with my beliefs than anyone I know."</p>
<p>With a sigh, she leans her head back and rests it against his. He doesn't pull away, he doesn't even flinch. He leans his head back to meet hers.</p>
<p>"Of course." she says, and they drink again.</p>
<p>The bottle empties slower than they'd think. In the end it seems that what he needed wasn't a drinking partner, just a partner. Someone to talk to, even if he's never felt this need before.</p>
<p>"So, your last trip didn't go well?" She asks, after a long, comfortable silence.</p>
<p>"That's an understatement. This time I thought we had something, really something. I had heard of this planet. There was strong evidence that there had been a Jedi Temple years ago. A Temple! Can you imagine? After all this time. I was certain we would find a valid trail, proof that they exist at least. It wasn't easy to get to the planet, the Empire has presence still, if little, but enough to make it difficult to move freely. And asking the natives about an old Jedi Temple doesn't make you unnoticed."</p>
<p>She doesn't think she's never heard him talk this much.</p>
<p>"Did you find it?"</p>
<p>"I found a hole. A <em>kriffing</em>, <em>farkling shab</em> hole!"</p>
<p>Again, she had never heard him swear like that.</p>
<p>"A hole? How can an entire temple disappear?"</p>
<p>"Exactly. You should have seen my face. Everyone I asked told me the same story. There were rumours there had been a Temple that had been hidden for years, centuries, and someone had found it, then it had disappear short after. I felt like a complete fool, an idiot. I shouldn't have believed all that, I shouldn't have let myself got carried away by hope."</p>
<p>"No, don't say that. You don't loose hope, you hear that? Hope is the last thing that remains when everything has gone shit. Hope is the only thing that lets you get up again and again until you've reached safety and you survive, you hear me?" as she speaks, she reaches with her hand to him, to find his. When her fingers touch his, he holds tight on her.</p>
<p>"Yes." is his quiet reply in the middle of the night.</p>
<p>He breathes in and his shoulders feel lighter, as if someone had lifted a weight from him that he didn't know it was there. His lungs fill with air. Maybe he's not the worst moron in the galaxy. Her hand on his reassures him, and his stomach twitches.</p>
<p>"Can I ask you something?" she says quietly.</p>
<p>"No." he answers sitting straighter, so she almost loses balance.</p>
<p>"Sorry, I-"</p>
<p>"No, it's- Where's the 'fresher?" As he gets up he replaces the helmet on his head and tumbles with his hand over his midsection.</p>
<p>She understands and points to a near door just at the other end of the counters in the kitchen area. "Are you alright?"</p>
<p>"No." he barely manages to say before he gets to the door and shuts it behind him.</p>
<p>It's been years, he can't remember how old he was, since the last time he was sick and had to throw up. He removes his helmet for the second time that evening and inclines himself over the toilet. But nothing comes out, nothing but a disgusting bit of saliva that tastes like bile. It's always been hard for him to vomit. And he knows that this physical malaise won't go until he's gotten all of it out, or until a few hours of torture later. He has to kneel, his whole body feels weak.</p>
<p>"Din, are you ok?" Cara knocks on the door, she sounds concerned.</p>
<p>"Yes, don't worry, it'll pass."</p>
<p>"Do you need something?"</p>
<p>"No, I'm fine. I just need some time."</p>
<p>"Are you sure? Please tell me how I can help you."</p>
<p>He smiles at her eagerness to help him and is secretly comforted by that. "Don't worry, I'm fine." he repeats, more softly.</p>
<p>"Ok, I'm here."</p>
<p>"I know."</p>
<p>Cara rests a hand on the door to the 'fresher and smiles gently. A tough Mandalorian who doesn't hold his liquor. So cute.</p>
<p>She debates if she should make a cup of tea or some caf to help him sober up. His guts will probably still feel upset for a while so she decides against it and instead goes for some pills for the stomachache. In any case, what he needs right now is to sleep it off.</p>
<p>She's finished making a cup of herbal tea for herself when he comes out of the refresher. He walks painstakingly. She almost feels sorry for him, but they have to admit there's some humor in all of it.</p>
<p>"How are you feeling? Better?"</p>
<p>He moves his hand in a so-so gesture. She smiles.</p>
<p>"Here, take these." She hands him the pills and a glass of water.</p>
<p>He takes them, but first he puts his hand over hers and squeezes it.</p>
<p>"Wait." she says and turns around. "I have my eyes closed, you can take the pills now."</p>
<p>He's at a loss for words. Nobody's ever done anything like this for him. Sure, he's encountered kind people in his life but, this is different, this feels deeper. She's even put her hands over her eyes, and all he wants is to put his arms around her, tight, and bury his face on the crook her neck.</p>
<p>"Are you done yet?" her voice is muffled by her hands.</p>
<p>"Uh, s-sorry not yet." He quickly takes off his helmet, takes the pills with a bit of water and puts it on again. He's removed his helmet so many times tonight that he feels like he's bending the rules of the Way. "I'm done."</p>
<p>"Good, come." She grabs his wrist and leads him to the bedroom.</p>
<p>"Wait, wait, wait. What are you doing?"</p>
<p>"You need to rest. You're in no condition to get back to the Crest, would probably fall unconscious midway and the vultures would feast on you. By morning only your carcass would be found."</p>
<p>"No need to be so dramatic. And I can take the couch."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, I don't think that thing would hold your weight, even without all the beskar, which you should take off, anyways."</p>
<p>"What? First you want to get me into your bed and now you insinuate I take my clothes off? You're bold, Cara Dune."</p>
<p>"You're a funny drunkard. Smartass."</p>
<p>"You think you're the only one who can make that kind of jokes?"</p>
<p>"I'm cute when I make that kind of jokes."</p>
<p>He tugs at the arm she's holding so that he closes the distance between them.</p>
<p>"Cute is not the word I'd use." He hopes that doesn't sound like the growl he wants to let out.</p>
<p>"Now, who's bold?" She pushes on his chest until the back of his legs hit the bed and he finds himself sitting on the mattress.</p>
<p>He swallows.</p>
<p>"Do you think you're going to be sick? Anything left in that poor stomach of yours?"</p>
<p>He's a bit taken aback by the change of subject. "I didn't throw up so, yeah, maybe."</p>
<p>"Then I suppose you'll need this." She leaves the room, only to come back with a red bucket in her hands. "You'll want to take that bucket off your head and use this one instead in case you vomit in the middle of the night. Sweet dreams."</p>
<p>She places it by the bed, next to him and turns to leave again. But he stops her, grabbing her wrist as she had done with him before.</p>
<p>"Wait. Are you going to leave me alone?" His tone is not suggestive, it's more woeful, anxious.</p>
<p>"Of course. You need to take your helmet off, I won't let you choke in your own vomit."</p>
<p>"We can turn all the lights off, close every window in the house." He sounds hopeful.</p>
<p>"Are you sure? I don't want to risk…"</p>
<p>"Yeah, I'm sure. It will make me feel better."</p>
<p>His insides twist in that moment and he has to crouch over himself on the mattress.</p>
<p>"Ok. But I was serious, you need to take the rest of your armor too, you really need to rest."</p>
<p>He nods. With her help he strips of his armor, plate by plate. He pushes a button on his vambrace and the kid's pram appears by the door. "If we're going to isolate this room, I don't want him out." She nods.</p>
<p>She seals the small window in her bedroom with cloths and a towel. It leads to a small backyard, it doesn't let in much light during the day, anyways.</p>
<p>He looks strange without all the beskar on, the cape makes a great difference too. He doesn't look so big in just his t-shirt and pants. He's just a man, scared like everyone else at least once in their lives. Vulnerable. She's glad he's chosen to show her this side of his.</p>
<p>"I need to go to the 'fresher before I get into bed. I'll be back in a minute and then we can turn the lights off. Are you going to be alright?"</p>
<p>"Yes, go."</p>
<p>For a minute he feels bad for her, is he imposing himself? He doesn't know, his mind is not clear enough to ponder it for too long. He's hurting, he's sleepy and all he knows is that he wants to curl beside her.</p>
<p>When she comes back he's laying on his side, facing the other end of the bed, her end of the bed. She chastises herself for blushing at the thought and for being such a prude. He seems asleep. To get into bed she has to go around it. When she opens the cover he stirs.</p>
<p>"Thought you were already sleeping."</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>"You should get into the cover, or you'll catch a cold on top of it."</p>
<p>"Yes, ma'am."</p>
<p>He gets under the cover too and it's like they enter a new dimension of intimacy she hadn't anticipated.</p>
<p>"I'm, uh… I'm going to turn off the light."</p>
<p>He doesn't answer, he just waits in silence.</p>
<p>The silence stretches and their senses increase when the light is finally off and darkness is all they can see. She hears soft noises on his side and a light clank as he puts his helmet on the side table. Then, she's sure he's turned to face her again because his voice sounds closer.</p>
<p>"Did you brush your teeth?"</p>
<p>"Yes, it's a good habit to brush your teeth before bed."</p>
<p>He could swear she sounds nervous.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry I don't have my teeth brush with me." he whispers.</p>
<p>"Don't worry" she whispers back.</p>
<p>"You smell good."</p>
<p>"I always smell good."</p>
<p>"No, you don't." The smile is evident in his voice.</p>
<p>They manage to keep the laughter quiet.</p>
<p>"I might have… freshen up a bit."</p>
<p>"Oh, were you preparing yourself to get into bed with me? I'm flattered."</p>
<p>She huffs and smacks his arm with the back of her hand. He tries to catch it but his reflexes are null and he misses her. His hand ends up lying on the mattress between them.</p>
<p>"What were you going to ask me before?" He says groggily</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"When I got sick and had to run to the 'fresher. You had just asked me if you could ask me a question."</p>
<p>"Oh, yes. Can I?"</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"Anything?"</p>
<p>"Anything."</p>
<p>That's some opportunity he's giving her. She can ask <em>anything</em>? A million questions that she didn't know she was curious about storm into her mind. <em>How old are you? How old were you when you swore the Creed? Which was your home planet? How was your childhood? Do you miss your parents? Are you dark haired as I think you are? Are your eyes dark too? Was your training as a Mandalorian too hard? What's your favorite weapon? Well I think I know that. What's your favorite food? What are you going to do when you find the kid's people? Have you ever been in love? Can you come closer?</em></p>
<p>"Why didn't you return my calls?" she decides to stick to the original question.</p>
<p>He doesn't respond immediately. He takes a deep breath.</p>
<p>"I had just found, or rather not found, the Temple. I… I wasn't in the mood… no, I didn't want…" he pauses. "I didn't want to tell you about my failure. I wasn't thinking very highly of myself at the moment. So I… I didn't want you to see me like that."</p>
<p>"Oh."</p>
<p>Her fingers seek his and finally the hand that lays forgotten on the mattress can take hold of hers.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't have made fun of you."</p>
<p>"I know."</p>
<p>"Next time, don't shut me out, ok?"</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"Now sleep, you need to rest."</p>
<p>"I think I will, your bed is so comfortable."</p>
<p>"It's nothing fancy."</p>
<p>"You should try mine on the Crest."</p>
<p>"Why, are you inviting me?"</p>
<p>"I should have seen that one coming." He's smiling again.</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, did I take your side of the bed? I don't know if you use to sleep on a preferred side."</p>
<p>"Are you asking me if I use to share my bed with someone?" she asks with a throaty laughter.</p>
<p>Just to keep the banter up he answers "Was I too obvious?"</p>
<p>"No, but you know I like to make you blush."</p>
<p>"I'm not blushing."</p>
<p>"Yes, you are."</p>
<p>To prove it, she brings her hand to his cheek. It's not hot. At least not more than she is. What surprises her is to find a light stubble on his cheek and along his jaw. She trails it down with the tip of her fingers.</p>
<p>"You have a beard."</p>
<p>"I don't let it grow, it itches under the helmet."</p>
<p>"And a mustache."</p>
<p>She feels him smile under her hand.</p>
<p>"Can I touch your face? See how you look like?"</p>
<p>"Are you going to tell anyone how I look like?"</p>
<p>"No." she replays with a silly laughter, and she feels like she's fifteen again.</p>
<p>"You can."</p>
<p>With her hands, Cara discovers that he has high cheekbones and a square jaw. Nice bone structure, he's probably quite handsome.</p>
<p>"You have a crooked nose, did you break it?"</p>
<p>"Once."</p>
<p>Short, unruly hair.</p>
<p>Her fingers dip into his locks, massaging his scalp. He makes a low, deep sound from the back of his throat, and puts a hand on her waist, trying to find some kind of support, he feels dizzy, and it's not because of his stomach. It's as if the floor suddenly disappeared under his feet, and he's going to fall, but then he doesn't, and he believes he could fly. And then her hands stop at his jaw again and her thumbs caress the corners of his mouth, teasing him, until one traces his lips, and he's on fire. His breath is fast paced. His heart pounds in his ears. She's so close, he just needs to tilt his head and he could capture her lips with his mouth. He wants that so badly.</p>
<p>But she lowers her hands to his chest and lets them rest there. He pulls her closer.</p>
<p>"You are rather attractive."</p>
<p>He makes a strangled noise.</p>
<p>"Can I ask you another question?"</p>
<p>"Another one?" His voice is husky.</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"Sure"</p>
<p>"What color is your hair?"</p>
<p>"It's dark."</p>
<p>"Dark. Like mine?"</p>
<p>"No, mine is dark brown. Yours has red reflections in bright light."</p>
<p>"You noticed."</p>
<p>"I noticed. I've noticed many things about you."</p>
<p>"Like what?"</p>
<p>He knows he's talking too much, usually he doesn't talk this much. And he's sure if he goes on he's going to say something that maybe he'll regret later. But she asked and he cannot not answer her, because she asked, and there's so little he wouldn't give her, if she asked.</p>
<p>"I've noticed that face that you make when you don't like someone, how you try to put a straight face but fail to it. I've noticed how your eyes almost close when you smile for real, and how you…" he wets his lips with his tongue. "How you bite your lip when you smile after a compliment. You don't like compliments. I don't know why."</p>
<p>"Because most of the time they're not true."</p>
<p>"I disagree." She takes a breath to answer that, but he can hear it in all that silence around them and he keeps talking. "And I'm too tired and too beaten to quarrel with you, so save what you were going to say for tomorrow."</p>
<p>"You're not beaten, you're drunk."</p>
<p>"Whatever." And as he speaks, he puts his arm all around her to bring her closer. His face on her shoulder and his mouth next to her ear. "Is this ok?"</p>
<p>She gasps, but her own arms close on his shoulders. Her mouth moves as if it's going to say something, but all it lets out are shallow breaths.</p>
<p>With their senses already enhanced by darkness she still has to close her eyes at the sensation of having him pressed against her body. She's aware of every inch of his. One of his knees between hers, her breasts touching his chest, his big, bare hand on her back hot through her thin shirt. And his lips caressing the patch of skin below her ear.</p>
<p>"Cara," he says in sighs "I want to kiss you."</p>
<p>She intends to laugh but it ends up as a moan.</p>
<p>"You don't know what you're saying. You're not yourself right now." <em>He's hammered, Cara, what are you doing?!</em></p>
<p>He ignores her, and marks his way to her shoulder and collarbone. She grips tighter at his hair.</p>
<p>"Mando, we can't."</p>
<p>He pulls apart just so that they are face to face. He's panting.</p>
<p>"Din." he says.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Call me by my name."</p>
<p>She has to take a few breaths before she can speak. It comes out a desperate plea.</p>
<p>"Din."</p>
<p>His mouth covers hers, eager and thirsty. He claims her with a hunger that's powerful and urgent. The little sounds she makes ignite Din's blood. She's delicious. Her mouth is sweet and he hopes he's doing it right because he doesn't have a clue how he's supposed to kiss.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, I haven't kissed anyone before." He says into her mouth. "I'm more experienced with my hands."</p>
<p>She whimpers. She doesn't care if it sounds pitiable or not.</p>
<p>"Oh, <em>Maker</em>!"</p>
<p>Her lips open and close, sucking on his, so he decides to follow her lead. But it's not enough, nothing is enough. He wants to kiss and lick all of her skin. She moves and he accommodates in response until she's half beneath him. His tongue ventures a little forward. When she meets him with hers, Din can't stop a groan that rumbles through her body to her core.</p>
<p>She didn't expect his lips to be so soft. More like the lips of a boy, doing a man's job. Compliant and demanding. So sweet. He nips her lower lip and her chin, and goes on to her throat, leaving a wet trace. Her hand plays with the curls at his nape.</p>
<p>"We need to stop."</p>
<p>He doesn't.</p>
<p>She brings him back to deposit a chaste but promising kiss on hip lips and when she parts he follows her. She kisses him again but this time she stops him when he tries to deepen the kiss.</p>
<p>"Why?" He asks.</p>
<p>"Because you're wasted and I don't want you to do anything that you'll regret not remembering in the morning."</p>
<p>He caresses her stomach up between her breasts to her neck.</p>
<p>"How can I not remember… this".</p>
<p>"Believe me, I've been there. It's not nice and I don't want that happening to you, honey."</p>
<p>He rests his head on her chest. She embraces him as his arm tightens again on her waist.</p>
<p>As their breathing slow down and their heartbeats calm, sleep crawls up their bodies.</p>
<p>"Ok." he says.</p>
<p>It's not long until she hears his light snores. With a tender smile, she smooths his hair and lets herself drift to sleep too.</p>
<p>The kid eats his scrambled eggs and stripes of smoked meat with gusto. She's not sure what kind of food he usually eats, but it seems she got it right with this dish. She serves some for herself, leaving the rest for Din in case that he wakes up hungry, though she doubts it.</p>
<p>They're finishing their breakfast when Din emerges from her bedroom. He takes in his surroundings and walks slowly towards them, he looks disoriented.</p>
<p>"Hey, good morning, sleepyhead." she greets with a knowing smile.</p>
<p>He answers with a grunt and takes the kid, who's holding his arms to him.</p>
<p>"Good morning, little one. Are you behaving yourself? Or are you giving Cara a hard time?"</p>
<p>"He's being a sweetie. He ate all his meal and didn't make a mess of it."</p>
<p>"Great. We're improving, aren't we? He will eat anything you throw his way. We have to be good because Cara is being very kind with us." At that he looks at her to make sure she gets how thankful he is.</p>
<p>Unbidden, an image of them kissing on her bed crosses in front of her and she turns to the stove so that he can't see her blush. "It's nothing."</p>
<p>She brushes it off, but as she speaks Din watches her as she busies herself setting a plate with food, a cup of caf and another one of something that smells really good, sweet and flowery, or is it her?</p>
<p>"How are you feeling?"</p>
<p>"My head is killing me. Now I remember why I don't like to drink."</p>
<p>"Are you hungry?" she asks with a smile.</p>
<p>"A bit. That smells good."</p>
<p>"That's your breakfast if you feel like it. There's also some caf and I made you a herbal tea if you prefer it." She speaks as she moves around the kitchen. "Look, I have to go to work, but feel free to stay and rest here as long as you want, ok? You have more food in these cupboards and the fridge."</p>
<p>"I don't want to abuse your kindness."</p>
<p>He moves to her and takes the sponge and soap she's holding from her hands.</p>
<p>"Let me take care of that."</p>
<p>"You don't have too."</p>
<p>"Please, I want to."</p>
<p>He's so close now, and he's holding her hands to make her release the sponge. A bit of last night's tension when they got into bed impregnates the air. She tries to still her breath and her silly heart. The memories of his lips on hers makes her swallow. She wants to lean on his chest, but that would only complicate matters, and it seems too forward now in the light of day. That doesn't keep her from wanting to feel him surrounding her again, on top of her and touching her skin, though.</p>
<p>"Uhm, alright."</p>
<p>He doesn't move aside to let her pass so she has to brush against him when she moves to leave. She looks up when she hears his intake of air. She can't see his expression through the helmet but his reaction makes her think that, maybe, he remembers last night. Oh, <em>Maker</em>, he remembers. He's looking directly down at her, intently, she dare says.</p>
<p>"I, uh, I have to go." she says testingly.</p>
<p>He nods. She rubs the kid's head on her way to the door. She grabs her jacket, not leaving his eyes, or the place where she thinks his eyes are. He's looking at her too. Oh, <em>Maker</em>, he remembers and he's staying, at least for today.</p>
<p>When she opens the door his voice stops her.</p>
<p>"Cara."</p>
<p>She holds her breath.</p>
<p>"Just so that you know. Now I'm sober, and I still want to kiss you."</p>
<p>She releases her breath in a huff. He's turned to her, leaning with his hands at his sides on the counter. She's sure he's grinning too.</p>
<p>"Are you going to be here when I come back? Or you could-?"</p>
<p>"We'll be here."</p>
<p>She nods and goes out. She hasn't walked two steps when she's already planning how she's going to leave work sooner today.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, how did you like it?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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